Improvement in gymnastic apparatus



idnted tant aient wie.

WILLIAM HANLON, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 YXHIMSELE AND GEORGE, ALFRED, FREDERICK, AND `EDWARD HANLN.

' .Lctters,Pate1zt No. 98,587, dated January 4, 1870..

IMPROVEMENT IN GYMNASTIC APPARATUS.

The Schedule ,referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all 'whomz't may concern:

,been 'combined with parallel hars, ladders, Sec., and` some of these have been adapted to .the performance of various feats by both men and boys.

I`hzwe discovered, or conceived certain new 'feats or acts to be accomplished by a small boy, (or. more than one,) iu connection with one or more men, and have invented an apparatus, without the peculiarities of which these feats cannot be performed. These feats have already been publicly performed with great cla-t by the Hanlon Brothers, at the 'lammany theatre in the city of New York, and have demonstrated the successful working of the apparatus employed.

Although the acts, especially that one known as the great act;7 are very startling, or wonderful, theyare` rendered practicable by my new apparatus, and all danger of injuryto the-performersis avoided by the use, in connection with the apparatus," of'a strong net properly padded, and so arrange-ch'that inthe event of falling, no one can be hurt in the least.

My invention has for its objects to so construct theapparatus, that the distance between the parallel bars may be varied readily, at pleasure, to snit the different feats of the performance'on-them, and to lso arrange the'whole thatrthe person using the swing may be able to stop and start quickly, and at pleasure; and to these ends,

My invention consists in the employment, in connection with the parallel bars, of a suitable device by means of which the space between them may be va# ried, at pleasure, so that the performer can either rest on them, or pass freely between them, without danger of striking, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

And my invention further consists in the employment, in combination with thetrapeze, of what I desig` nate stop-ropes, whereby4 the performer can suddenly stop and start, at pleasure, while in the swing.

To enable those skilled,`to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the construction and use of my new apparatus, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side or front elevation;

Figure 2, a top or plan view; and

Figure 3, 'a vertical cross-section at a; x, fig. 2.

In the several figures, the same parts are designated by the same letter of reference. i

A A are two bars, which are made suitably strong, (and light lin appearauce,) arranged parallel to each other, and which are firmly held in mid-air bysuitablc wire rods or ropes, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, arranged to brace and hold the barsin every direction se'curelyi These bars A lA are further held laterally by crossbracesi or bars, b b and c c, and froml the latter,`(.which pass through the bars A, and project pn. each side, as shown,) extend upward from each end, brace-rods j' f, which are connected at their upper ends to shoes or plates g g, in which is arranged a cross-baai, for purposes top-be presently explained. V

From the Vplates 4gg extend' upward, stay-rods j, and downward, braces lr, the latter being coupled securely at their lower ends to the bars A A. Of course the to the ceiling, or other fixture of the apartment iu which theapparatus `is rigged, and the stay-ropes and rods 1, 2, Sac., are. all drawn tight, and fastened at their lower ends to stationary points ofthe apartment.

On' the bars o c are arranged, `(two ou each bar,)

small swings, as seen at m, adapted tol be used by the ,performer in the usual manner, and on each of the bars l1 there is arranged a single trapeze, o, in which the performer hangs by the'legs or feet in the usual way. i

S S are stop-ropes, which are pendent from the bars A, alrangednpairs, as shown, each pair being located about midway between the swings m audio, (near each end of the bars.)

The location of 'these stop-ropes S should 'be such, that as the performer is swinging inthe trapeze o, either by his feet or by his legs, (as illustrated at fig.

1,) he can readily graspsthem with his hands, to suddenly stop his swinging, and take a fresh start, at his option, in order that he may regulate his time of Vvibration, as will be presently explained. Y

t tare two hinged flaps or rests, which are hinged to the bars A, as clearly shown, in such amanner that Vthey can be placed either in theposition shown, or be thrown or turned outward into the positin illustrated `by dotted lines a't fig. 3, so as to leave the space or opening between the bars A the same all along during their entire extent.

rlhe object and advantage of these flaps or rests, t t are' these:

When in the position shown, one performer canjhang through, resting his elbows or arms on each side on t t, so that another, swinging up from the trapeze, (head downward,) can grasp the rst by the feet, and carry him down with him, and so that, after the act below, the one swinging in the trapeze, can swing the other one up through the opening between t t, (which is wide enough to permit the passage of the body,)

and allow him to lodge again on the iaps'on hisarms.

lines, iig. 3. For an instance: in the great act, the

`who is swinging from the other trapeze, .at the opposuddenly stop, gauge or calculate the/vibration of the proper velocity to bring himself in just the roper pov sit-ion and time to catch the boy on his return through feats, in which one person is passed back and forth bey could not be accomplished.

n any feat where the flaps would be in the way, they areturned over or outward, as seen at dotted boy stands erect' on the cross-bar i, while a man swings in one of the trapezes 0 by his feet, (not legs, as seen at iig. l.) As the man swings upward toward the bars and centre of the apparatus, the boy falls or flies downward, his body passing, in a nearly horizontalY position, betweenA the bars A A, and he catches, hand to hand, with the man, and -both then swing, head to head, downward and outward, or toward the end of bars.

While thus swinging, the man can turn the boy in the air, end for end, catching him by the feet, and can then throw him through the air to another gymnast site end of the bars. But to perform this feat of throwing andv catching the boy, it is necessary for each swinger, (in the trapeze,) after throwing the boy, to

other performer, (new swinging with the boy,) and. swingl anew at the precise moment, and with the theair to him.

Without the' stop-ropes S S, or their equivalents, to enable the performer to quickly stop and start, these tween the other two, could not be accomplished; and without some means of varying the actual space between the sides of the bars, or rather the 'f size of the opening in the apparatus, the several feats, in which the performer has at some times to catch and rest on Jthe apparatus, and at other times pass clean through,

rlhe liaps t t are so arranged thatl they can be instantaneously shipped from one position to another, and the stop-ropes are so ar'- ranged, that while they are readily available at the time and for the purposes needed, they do not inter -fere with any of the movements or revolutions of the performers. The flaps t t are padded on top, to render them comfortable rests.

It will be understood that other devices may be employed to perform the same functions as the ropes S and lia-ps t, but I have found them simple and effective, and they have been employed most successfully to carry out my invention, the gist of l which rests in the ideas of providing a simple and reliable means of varying the space through which the performer has to pass lwholly or bodily at some times, and in which he has, at others, to suspend and support himself, as explained, and of also providing a suitable means for the performers in the end swings to stop and start by in their vibrations.

Havingfully explained my invention, so that those y skilled can fully comprehend it, and wishing to be understood as not limiting my claim of invention to any precise details or proportions of parts,

What I claim as new, and 'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l l The use, in connection with the parallel bars, of the shifting-flaps, or other equivalent` means for varying the central space, substantially as and for the pnrposes set forth.

Also, the employment, in combination with a trapeze and the sustaining or stationary portion of the appa ratus, of stop -ropes S, or their eouivalents, so arranged, that by means of said stops the person swinging by the feet can stop and start at pleasure, as here. inbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 3d day of December, 1869.

WM. HANLON. [L. s.] VVitnesses':

J. MCINTIRE, T. B. BEECHER. 

